Darker Than Black: Moonlight's Return
by Seras0Victoria
Summary: Follows immediately after Season 2, Episode 12, as Hei is carrying Yin off into the night. Too much left unsaid/undone between these two and this is my attempt at closure for my own sanity!  HeiXYin  obviously  and is a short, 2-part one shot.
1. Chapter 1

Darker Than Black: Moonlight's Return

(Kuro no Keiyakusha: Tsukiakari no Modori)

_**Darker Than Black**__ and all characters therein belong to BONES and I'm just borrowing their likenesses for a wee bit just to appease my own sanity. This two part one-shot takes place just after the events of Season 2 Episode 12 as we see Hei carrying Yin off into the night. I'm not big into explaining big science-fictiony happenings so I'm going to gloss over what Hei actually did to the Gate and to Yin and Izanami so that I can get into the meat of matter which is Hei X Yin!_

Yin was feather-light in his arms; her slight form almost imperceptible if not for the softness of her silvery hair brushing against him as he carried her. The only thing weighing heavily upon him was the doubt now rising in him like bile. _Had he done the right thing? Moreover, was it enough? When Yin woke up, would it be Yin? What would he have to do if it wasn't? Would she revert back to being a true doll, devoid of any of the spirit he came to…" _

Hei took slow, deliberate steps not wanting to jar Yin, who had already gone through so much both physically and mentally. She looked so fragile when he had returned to her container. In that intense flash of a moment, Hei had sought Yin out down to every cell in her body and surgically, precisely removed Izanami from her, expelling one out and, hopefully, returning the other to herself. When he found Yin in that almost intimate molecular level, he saw that she had already done most of the work for him. Somehow, in that single moment, she had managed to contain herself wholly within, holding Izanami apart and yet close enough to give Hei his chance to destroy them both with a single stroke. "Kill me," she had beseeched him, resigned, and yet looking at him with so much trust and hope. Hei only had one chance to cut the proverbial cord and he wouldn't disappoint her now. He would only know for certain when, and if Yin awoke, if he was successful in dispatching one and keeping the other. Once he gently removed the tubes, wires and monitors from her, he was relieved but not surprised to find her faint pulse. She was so strong. She always had been.

As he carried her toward the only place he knew to be safe, he thought of all those times when she was there for him and he may not have even known it at the time much less acknowledged her for it. He was blind in his acceptance of what was supposed to be. She was supposed to be lifeless, soulless; only doing what she was told. And he was a contractor…deadly, cold, heartless, selfish. His own refusal to accept that he could possibly be different had kept him from seeing the frost thaw on Yin's own budding blossom. He looked down at her peaceful face and remembered how she used to look at him. What he once thought were eyes that looked through him, beyond him, he could now only recall when it seemed like she was looking straight into the core of him. How long had he denied that part of her that was longing to escape because of his own prejudice against himself? For how long had she tried to show him only to turn his back on her because he couldn't, wouldn't, accept it?

With these thoughts roiling in his mind, he turned into the narrow alley that led to his private converted interrogation room. He had brought Havoc…no, Carmine…here once, to extricate as much information as he could about his sister. No one knew about this place, not even Huang or Mao. He was thankful for the city-wide announcement that was made to keep its citizens indoors after curfew during the bombings that had occurred when EPR made itself known. Since then, the streets were empty at late hours of the night and allowed Hei to make his way here with Yin with relative ease. The door only opened from the outside using a series of varied clicks of the handle. Three to the left, two to the right, one to the left, two to the right, and another three to the left. Once inside, he gingerly laid Yin down on the couch at the far end of the room and found a blanket to cover her. Pulling up a chair to sit beside Yin, all at once he felt the exhaustion of the past two years come crushing down on him. He bowed his shoulders and held his head in his hands for a moment, the immensity of what had just happened finally hitting him. When he lifted his head, he saw that his hands were visibly shaking in the aftermath of what had culminated in the risk he had taken with Yin's life. But in that brief moment back at the Gate, when everything was resting on a razor's fine edge, he had felt Yin's confidence in him as well as her presence. He felt his powers melding with the meteor core, magnifying Pai's abilities within him…and something else…a third presence that was guiding and steadying him, giving Hei's determination the final push. Before the entire Gate was suffused with a blinding light, he saw Yin, his Yin, standing before him in place of the part of her that was connected to Izanami. He could only hope that it was a sign of their true separation to come.

As he strove to stifle his shaking, he lifted the edge of the blanket, seeking out Yin's hand and held it. He was amazed at the comfort it brought to him, just holding her hand like that. She was soft and warm…so human. How could he have thought of her as anything less? He remembered then, as the room had reminded him of Carmine, the time when Yin had first reached out to him, literally. Huang was berating him for acting on his own with Carmine and possibly jeopardizing their lives with the Syndicate. And then…then Yin took his hand in hers. Unexpected. Incomprehensible. Her grip had been strong. But he couldn't feel her warmth through his gloves. And even if he had, would he have accepted it then? He had yanked his hand away from her so quickly, violently, looked at her insolently. What he wouldn't give now for another chance at that moment; to have been able to open his eyes and accept her offer of comfort instead of pushing her off of the impenetrable wall he had built around himself. Now, over two years later, he was holding her hand, the hand that had slowly dismantled that wall of his piece by piece without any judgment, and he found solace in it.

After several hours, Hei stood up, his body protesting against the position he had stayed in the whole night while vigilantly watching over Yin, counting every shallow breath she took until he saw that they turned into longer, deeper ones. He went to the kitchen and found a small clean sponge, soaked it in water, and wrung most of it out. Returning to Yin's side, he lifted her head and shoulders up from the couch, letting her rest against his arm, and squeezed small amounts of the remaining water from the sponge onto her slightly parted lips. Though some of the water slid down her face and onto her neck, he managed to get some of the water into her mouth. He gently stroked her jaw line and throat in circles, coaxing her to swallow each drop he ministered to her. When she swallowed that last of it, Yin let out a small sigh but her eyes remained closed. Without jostling her position, Hei slid himself into sitting position underneath her so that her head could rest on his lap. He was so tired but wanted to be awake for Yin. He wanted to see her eyes open and for her to hear him say her name so she knew she was safe at last. As he felt the weariness of his body overtake him, he managed to brush a stray lock of hair from Yin's eyes and then let his hand cradle her face. The last thing he saw before falling asleep was his hand moving to rest atop Yin's heart, taking in the reassuring beat of her heart as the accompaniment to his dreams.

When Hei awoke, it wasn't because of the light of day. He had no idea what time it was. The room was just as dark as it was when he had brought Yin in last night, with only one overhead lamp on in the bar area for ambient lighting. What had awoken him was the warm pressure on his own hand, the hand that was atop Yin's heart. When he fully became alert, he saw her small hand resting over his.

"Yin!" whispered Hei in disbelief as his eyes finally moved to her face.

"Hei…" Yin replied so softly that he barely heard her.

"Yin…am I dreaming?"

TO BE CONTINUED….


	2. Chapter 2

Darker Than Black: Moonlight's Return Part 2 (Conclusion)

(Kuro no Keiyakusha: Tsukiakari no Modori)

_**Darker Than Black**__ and all characters therein belong to BONES and I'm just borrowing their likenesses for a wee bit just to appease my own sanity. This two part one-shot takes place just after the events of Season 2 Episode 12 as we see Hei carrying Yin off into the night. I'm not big into explaining big science-fictiony happenings so I'm going to gloss over what Hei actually did to the Gate and to Yin and Izanami so that I can get into the meat of matter which is Hei X Yin!_

"Yin!" whispered Hei in disbelief as his eyes finally moved to her face. Her eyes were still closed.

"Hei…" Yin replied so softly that he barely heard her.

"Yin…am I dreaming?"

Hei knew one thing: If they were both indeed dreaming, he didn't want to wake. Not from this one. He closed his eyes and slide his left hand under head, his fingers slowly tangling in her loose hair. He struggled to keep from grasping her hair tightly in his fist in fear of her slipping away from him as she had so many times in the dreams that had haunted him for the past two years. His right hand dared not move from underneath the warmth of Yin's. Whether this was real or not, he would savor every moment before she inevitably uttered the word "farewell" again. He braced himself and waited for her to pull away from him so that he could chase her in vain as she turned away.

The next sensation he felt was a tentative and seeking touch on his face; the smoothness of the back of Yin's hand lightly trailing under his jaw line, her fingers extending so that she wouldn't lose contact for as long as possible.

"Chigau…it's different this time, Hei…"

Hei's eyes flew open. Even in the muted light, he could see Yin's lovely face, her eyes heavy-lidded but also open, looking up at him. Tears were starting to pool in the corners of her eyes and, with their own weight, fell down the sides of her face in streaks. The last time he had seen Yin cry was when she truly seemed alive to him; when she chose to stay instead of going back with her former teacher, back to her former life. Though he was surprised and relieved back then by what transpired, at this moment he was elated beyond words. She had returned, deciding once again to stay - to stay with him. Her eyes were no longer conflicted or anxious…they looked the same as they'd been those many times he looked into them as she sat quietly on the swings.

"You're safe," Hei said calmly as he wiped her tears away, hoping to reassure her.

"I know. Hei is with me," whispered Yin, getting used to her own shaky voice – a voice she hadn't used in over a year.

There were so many things he wanted to ask her but he knew she needed more time to recuperate. As much as he had struggled for almost two years, he was sure Yin was also not sitting idly by all this time. Taking her hand from where she touched his face, Hei brought it back down over her heart and held it with his own. He looked down at her, more content than he remembered being for a long time when he noticed Yin's lips turn up at the corners and her eyes warm over.

"Yin. You're…smiling." Hei uttered in disbelief.

"Yes. It would just happen when I spoke about Hei while we waited. It seems easier now."

Though Hei noted this was cryptic enough to be something he would ask about later, he didn't so much care about that now as he did about the fact that Yin's loveliness was magnified tenfold when she smiled. It was as if he was seeing, for the first time, the fullness of the moon's beauty burst through and radiate from behind the night's clouds. At this, he couldn't help but smile himself.

Looking up at Hei, Amber's words came rushing back to Yin like the high tide against the shore. _"I would do anything to see him smile like that again. I have a feeling that you do, too." _Yin was now fully able to comprehend her words. She had spoken of Hei's smile affecting her to the point of wanting to do anything for him and, at the time, Yin could only wish for some reference to understand what Amber meant. And now, at last, she did. Yin then remembered Amber asking her to watch over Hei. It was a promise that they both knew Yin would keep.

"I'll get you water and make something to eat. Just rest."

Yin nodded her head once as Hei effortlessly slid out from underneath her. Returning with a half glass of water, he knelt by her and again lifted her head and shoulders slightly to rest against his arm as she took small sips herself.

"Drink very small amounts at a time so your body gets used to ingesting water orally. You've been fed through an I.V. for a long time. It needs to adjust."

Yin nodded.

When she finished drinking most of it, Hei took the cup from her and placed it on the table but he didn't let go of Yin. Instead, he brought her more upright and pulled her into a fierce embrace. Careful as he was, it was all he could do not to crush her against him.

"Yin, "said Hei against her neck, blowing strands of her hair away as he spoke, "We said we wouldn't leave each other alone, didn't we?"

Yin nodded against his shoulder, hot tears once again springing to her eyes as she wrapped her arms around him with all the strength she could muster.

"It isn't a lie," Hei said urgently.

"I believe Hei. Believe me, too," replied Yin, smiling again.

They held each other, taking comfort in their words and their closeness. Hei pulled away and held Yin only inches apart from him, looking into her eyes. He felt this back at Amagiri's camp when she had embraced him, after having waited patiently by his bedside while he recovered from his wounds. He became lost in those eyes then because he knew she was the only one who could truly "see" him and accept him as he was. And now, as he looked into those eyes once more, he knew that he would not let the moment slip by again.

"Yin…" whispered Hei as he drew closer to her, almost as if asking if she was okay with this.

Yin drew in a short, sharp breath as Hei's lips tentatively touched hers. He waited moments for Yin to finally breathe out and when her lips parted slightly, he closed his mouth around hers and drew her in more deeply.

Yin's mind reeled. She had never had the chance to fully understand the headiness of having Hei's arms around her even back then and she was looking forward to learning all over again but this was something she had never imagined or expected. In that single moment when Hei's lips met hers, Yin felt all the desperation and loneliness he endured while they were apart being released. Heat flushed through her entire body, but she could not reconcile it with the tingling shivers traveling up and down her spine. Though Yin was the one who hadn't been able to drink water for over a year, it was Hei who drank from her like a man parched with thirst. She wasn't sure how, she wanted to give him all of herself, whatever he needed, to help ease the pain of his heart and his body, even if it took the rest of her life.

Hei reluctantly pulled away, smiled, and rested his forehead against hers.

"Once you're better, we will run away from here. We will disappear. And I will not lose you again."

As he said those words, Hei heard a noise coming from the door. Adrenaline kicked in and instantly he wrapped the blanket around Yin and carried her behind the bar stand, hiding her underneath the shelving space. Hei made the gesture to Yin to remain still as he stood to grab his knife from the counter. Flanking the door, he held his breath and listened. More noises from behind the door, louder this time. It sounded like…scratching.

Hei swung the door open and thrust his knife out swiftly, leaving no time for anyone on the other side to dodge. But Hei's knife found no purchase. No one was there. Then he saw a blur of movement at his feet.

"Mao." said Yin, softly, from behind the counter.

"Mao!" cried Hei as he looked down at the furry thing that had scurried into the room.

"Close the door, Hei. You want someone else finding out about this place?" retorted Mao, his tail bristling and twitching behind him.

Hei checked for any signs of others and promptly shut the door once it was clear. Placing his knife back on the counter, he saw that Mao had made his way over to Yin behind the counter.

"How did you find me, Mao?"

"I told you before. I never get bored watching you," Mao reminded him with a smirk. "Now, Yin," he continued, turning to face her, "are you okay?"

Yin smiled. 

_THE END?_

This was just to try and appease my own dissatisfaction with how things were left off with Hei and Yin so I'm not ambitious enough to write a continuation but it doesn't mean I won't at some point down the line. If I can come up with a mini story that is worthy of these characters, I'll continue with this story. But until then, I will leave that "?" at the end of "The End" I I hope enjoyed and have time to write any comments/reviews.


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